Fusee



April 19, 19 49 'FUSEE Filed Feb. 4, 1946 P. E. SLATER 2,467,918 I Patented Apr. 19, 1949 FU SEE Paul E. Slater, Fort Madison, Iowa, assignor to Anthes Force Oiler Company, Fort Madison, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application February 4, 1946, Serial No. 645,379

4 Claims.

My invention relates to fusees of a type used for signaling. It relates more in particular to a fusee adapted to be set along a highway as a signal to vehicular traflic.

Fusees of the type identified commonly comprise a paper tube filled with combustible chemical, with ignition material at one end and support means at the other end thereof, said tube having associated with it a striker head for starting combustion. Formerly, the support means comprised a spike at one end of the fusee but for various reasons, including, in some jurisdictions, regulations against it because of hazard to automobile tires, other forms of support have been required. A support must be relatively inexpensive, and form, with the fusee, a compact packange which can be handled without breakage, which leaves the ignition material and striker head protected but readily available for its intended purpose, and which is readily and quickly set up for use on the highway. Since it is desirable that the fusee be supported at an angle to the vertical, and preferably at an angle of about 45 degrees, the arrangement should be such as to make it possible to support the fusee at such desired angle under any and all circumstances.

One object of the invention is the provision of an improved fusee and support therefor.

Still another object is to produce a fusee having the features and advantages discussed hereinabove.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken with th accompanying drawing Wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the fusee as furnished to the user thereof;

Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the fusee and I support therefor when the sleeve and paper covering therefor have been removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the separated essential portions of the fusee, including the wire support, the fusee with striker head forming a part thereof, and tube containing the combustible chemical;

Fig. 4 shows the fusee set up and ready for use with the wire support attached to the tube;

Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom end view showing the manner in which the support is attached to the tube.

The fusee shown in the drawing comprises a tube It formed of paper or the like filled with combustible chemical l l and having ignition material l2 at one end thereof. The opposite end of the tube ID has a cup-shaped insert l3 so supported in the tube as to form a bottom recess therein. The tube I0 is formed of paper or the like and is so constructed that it Will burn away as the same rate that the combustible chemical H burns downwardly. My invention is not concerned with the combustible material nor construction of the tube, those skilled in the art un-.

derstanding that any conventional and known fusee body structure may be used.

Associated with the tube [0 is a wire support comprising legs I4 and I5 joined together by a loop Hi. In the packages as vended, the loop lies against that end of the tube carrying the ignition material and the legs [4 and I5 lie closely along the side thereof. A sleeve I1, to the top of which is secured a striker head l8, extends over the loop l6 and legs l4 and I5. The striker head I8 is preferably formed of wood or the like and its top exterior surface is coated with suitable igniter material which can be rubbed against the ignition material l2 to initiate burning of the combustible chemical H. The sleeve I1 is covered with a paper covering l9 and a tear strip 20, one end of which is fastened between the striker head l8 and sleeve I1, and which lies along the sleeve I! and under the paper covering IS in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The resulting construction is such as to form a unitary fusee combination, capable of being handled without breakage of any part thereof, in which the striker head and igniter material are adequately protected, and in which there is no possibility of deformation of the wire support. The fusee can be made ready for instant use, however, by merely pulling on the tear strip 20 to remove the paper covering l9. This same tearing action will have the effect of removing the sleeve l1 and leaving the naked fusee and wire support in the condition shown in Fig. 2.

The wire support is now reversed with respect to the tube Ill and the loop I6 is inserted in the recess formed by the insert l3. The loop is so constructed and arranged with respect to the recess as to fit snugly therein and to be not readily removable therefrom through accidental jarring or the like. While the loop is so retained within the recess, the legs l4 and I 5 are spread in the manner shown in Fig. 4, so that the tube will be held at an angle, preferably of about 45 degrees to the vertical, with the ignition material at the top. The sleeve I1 is then inverted and the portion of the striker head l8 bearing the igniter material rubbed against the ignition material l2 to start combustion of the chemical I I.

Those skilled in the art will understand that my invention is capable of modification, particularly with respect to the shape of the loop and recess for receiving the same, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fusee comprising a tube containing a combustible chemical, ignition material at one end of said tube, a sleeve having a striker head supporting igniter material, said sleeve disposed over 7 one end thereof, and means providing a recess in the end of the tube carrying said ignition 'mate- I rial, and a wire support comprising two legs joined together by a loop, the diameter of the tube being at least as great as the diameter of the loop, said loop lying at the end of the tube against said ignition material beneath said sleeve and the legs lying along the tube, said loop being shaped to engage that end of the tube opposite to the isnition material, whereby said legs may be spread to support the tube at an angle to the vertical.

2. A fusee comprising a tube containing a combustible chemical, ignition material at one end of,

said tube and means forming a recess in the opposite end thereof, said recess extending longitudinally of the tube, a sleeve having a striker head supporting igniter material, said sleeve disposed over the end of the tube carrying said ignition material, and a wire support comprising two legs joined together by a loop, said loop lying at the end of the tube against said ignition material beneath said sleeve and the legs lying along the tube, said loop being shaped to engage in said recess whereby said legs may be spread to sup port the tube at an angle to the vertical.

3. A iusee comprising a tube containing a combustible chemical, ignition material at one end of said tube and a cup-shaped insert forming an end recess in the other end thereof, said recess the other end thereof extending longitudinally of .the tube, a wire support having two legs lying along the tube and a loop at approximately right angles to said legs and lying against the end of the tube carrying the ignition material, a sleeve with a striker head carrying igniter material, said sleeve disposed over the tube and wire sup port, a tear strip having one end fastened to the sleeve at said striker head, and a paper cover over said sleeve and part of said tear strip and legs of said wire support, whereby the wire support may be readily released by tearing said paper cover ing, and then assembled as a supportby projecting the loop in the said recess and then spreading said legs.

PAUL E. SLATER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,776,354 Edmands Sept. 23, 1930 2,005,826 Kulp et a1. June 25, 1935 2,050,436 Hyde Aug. 11, 1936 2,090,911 Frizzell et al. Aug. 24, 1937 2,306,442 Holmes Dec. 29, 1942 

